Thursday, July 31, 2008

There is something about summer that makes me long to be rich. Not for yachts, pools, trips and all that junk. NO. I want money to be able to run my air conditioner as low and long as I like. Expense be hanged! Barring that, I'll take a nice little storybook rental on the coast of Maine.....or maybe Nova Scotia for the summer months. Packing up books, knitting and dogs and hightailing it for the northern hinterlands in summer sounds like a sterling idea to me. Anywhere where the temperature does not exceed 80 during the day and the humidity has never seen 100%.

Living in the South is miserable this time of year. It saps all the energy and enthusiasm right out of your body. It's a chore just to breathe. No wonder all those belles of yesteryear took hours-long naps every afternoon. And sat around in rocking chairs fanning themselves to beat 60. The words "prostrate from the heat" are no mystery to me. Summer Hibernation is the only way to get through the months of July, August and September. And it is just damn boring, too.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

The mayhem has subsided. Finally.For the past week, Miss Viv has been pushed to the edge and over by the dreaded puppy collar. It's hell having to wear jewelry that you didn't get to pick out yourself. Especially if you've never had any on to start with. You'd like to feel like you have SOME control over your life, eh?We started out wearing our little hand-me-down collar left over from Blue's babyhood. It unleashed Vivi's wilder side immediately. The scrubbing on the floor; the running through the house like a mad thing; the statue imitation; the WHINING. So, it came off after a couple of hours. A day or so later, we tried again. Same exact thing. Yesterday, after conferring with a couple of other doggie-type people, a brand new Vivi Collar was bought (a nice little pink & brown number) and affixed to said puppy's neck. Again, with the whole Drama Queen routine. But this time, it did no good. The collar stayed. She finally wore herself out and put herself to bed early and even slept through the night.Eureka! It was all a bad dream. The nasty collar is gone this morning. She can walk. She can run. She can eat. She can play. LIBERATION! I smile a secret little smile and agree with her. This is one delusion I'll let her keep.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

I got to visit with a friend of mine Monday night that I don't often get to see. Her name is Geri and we met through our love of our Airedales....oh, about 8 or 9 years ago. It's nice to sit down and catch up when you don't get to see each other but every few years.

Of course, I didn't have much to add to the conversation other than a Vivi report. No wonder new mothers don't seem to talk about anything but their babies. They don't have time to do anything else! (See that "haggard new mother" look on my face? YES....I'm tired.) But Geri was gracious; she looked at all my pictures. Then I returned the favor and looked at all of hers. We asked each other all the usual questions about mutual friends: have you seen ____? have you heard from ____? What's ___up to now? Although the crux of the night's conversation revolved around THE DOGS. And why not? They are the foundation of our friendship. As a matter of fact, as I reflect on it, most ALL of my friendships in the last 15 or so years have been because of my dogs. God bless them everyone.........

We did manage to discover that both of us have been knitting quite a bit lately. So, now we'll have another topic to explore. Probably be some variation on knitting for dogs...........

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Tomorrow will be two weeks since Vivi came to stay. Only two weeks? My God, it seems like YEARS. God was so good to me: He only gave me four-legged children to deal with. I'm not sure I could have handled the two-legged variety. As I think of this past week, I remember what a friend said when I was trying to find just the right name for her. My friend suggested "Cute-As-Shit-House-Wrecker". I think she must be some sort of seer or something.But it's not the house. Oh sure, there have been peeing and pooping accidents. Trying to eat things one shouldn't. Typical puppy stuff. Those are expected and dealt with. Oh no. This is bigger than that. We're talking disruption of long-held beliefs in the Universe. Or, at least the Universe of Dosido Farm.Dosi and Blue have come to believe that Vivi is the spawn of hell. Only here to make their lives miserable. The tension produced by this alteration in their cosmic world has been bordering on the cataclysmic. Just when I think integration of the newest satellite is on the horizon, another rip in the Terrier Space/Time Continuum erupts. Needless to say, as the Commander in Chief of this merry (??) little band, my nerves are frayed. Keeping peace amongst the Indians has proven to be more difficult than expected. I just don't remember absorbing a new puppy in to the household being this hard. Ahh, but I was younger then. Dosi was younger then. Blue didn't think the world revolved around Himself yet. No wonder older women don't have babies. I wonder if there's a cutoff age for puppies, too?

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Well, Miss Vivi has been here one week and a day. In that time, she's had her head peed on twice: once by Dosi and once by Blue. Neither were intentional. She just had to figure out about which end does what.

Dosi has decided to babysit. Reluctantly and only once in a while, but at least she's not barking and/or growling at Vivi every time the poor thing barely touches her.

Blue tried to behead her 3 times earlier in the week. Since then, he's resorted to just growling and curling that upper lip so his oh-so impressive fangs show a little. He's cracking though. Every so often he forgets that he's supposed to hate her. Instead, he sniffs and does a little nose touch. It's just a matter of time; his fate is sealed.

Today, she got to visit the hair salon and be ooh'd and aah'd over. That trip would have been good except that she got carsick on the way home 3 times. We definitely will have to work on that as she will be a going Jesse once her show career starts.

Also, today she had a big shadowbox tump over on top of her. That was plenty scary. It's the first time I've really seen her afraid of anything. We'll revisit that spot several times over the next few days to prove that that particular corner isn't out to get her.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

This past Monday a very small black Scottie created a very HUGE shift in the day-to-day existence of the dogs and humans alike living in the household. Her name is Darlen's Hot Child in the City (call name "Vivi"). She was 11 weeks old on that day...... going on 21. She has a mind of her own and isn't afraid to use it. She has already mastered the basic arts of Scottie Manipulation and is fast becoming more than capable in Airedale linguistics. To see her "talk back" to 12-year old Dosi with a bark that makes your fillings ring is a sight to behold. Dosi's head is bigger than she is, but no matter. Vivi is the 800-pound gorilla in the room.

Alas, she is not having quite as much success with her Scottie housemate, Blue. Blue is 4 and has ruled this roost from the time he arrived, also at 11 weeks old. He sees absolutely no need to give up his crown to this little smart aleck baby. There have been several instances of out and out warfare, as he is not prepared to give up without a fight. For his pains, he has been thoroughly chastised, but remains unyielding. (So much for me believing that I am the alpha bitch of this house!) Up until now, Blue has been the most mannerly, well-behaved Scottie you could ask for. He is now fast approaching the most stubborn. But I know something he doesn't: Vivi will get older. Vivi will turn in to a girl. Blue loves girls -- all of them, big or little. Where once he disdained all her efforts at friendship, when the recognition comes, she will be calling the shots. He only thinks his world has been rocked now. Give it a few months and it will turn inside out.